Scorpion-esque little stinger with a dose of venom under the hood

By Alexandra Straub, The Province

Originally published: March 14, 2012

So the saying goes: "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." While that might ring true for a lot of things, in this case, I can’t help but spill the beans.

I confess. I fell head over heels. I had a wild time and I don’t regret it.

Maybe it was the temperate sunny day with wispy clouds that painted the azure sky, or the cool, crisp winter desert air that invigorated my lungs as I inhaled my surroundings that contributed to setting the mood.

Perhaps it was the romantic back-drop of the Red Rock Canyon combined with the thrill of speed while on the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in nearby Pahrump.

Regardless. Given the circumstances, I couldn’t help but let my emotions run amok.

I just hope the Fiat 500 Abarth had as good of a time as I did.

The "Abarth" nameplate has a rather infamous connotation associated with it, so I’m not too surprised that the latest model from Fiat stung me the way it did.

Karl Abarth – the man behind the name – spent his lifetime building his scorpion-inspired and performance-oriented brand one victory at a time. (Note: the scorpion logo comes from his astrological sign of Scorpio).

Furthermore, he was touted as a man who was feisty and temperamental, characteristics also embodied by the stinging arachnid. How fitting.

But that stinging attitude proved useful in his field of work.

Throughout his life, Abarth was, among many things, a prodigious mechanic. He went on to set 10 world records, 133 international records, and helped orchestrate over 10,000 track triumphs (on two wheels in addition to four.)

His legacy is perpetuated today in the form of Fiat’s pint-sized hatchback.

As Tim Kuniskis, Head of Fiat brand North America, spoke to a group of anxious-to-drive-the-Abarth journalists, he described it as "the 500 with the right amount of wrong."

Even by looking at it, its don’t-mess-with-me stance coupled with Abarth design front and rear fascias, side skirts, a large rear spoiler and a dual chrome tip exhaust system, equate to an the aggressively styled and track ready two-door.

Oh, and the triple-stripe ‘Abarth’ body side decals are also a dead give-away that there is a potent amount of venom, I mean fun, at the twist of a key.

And as hardcore as this highly anticipated 500 model looked under the superstar lights in the Hard Rock Hotel’s ‘The Joint’ theatre, it wasn’t until I took the Abarth for a spin under the natural light that its "c" persona started to manifest.

With one hand on the Abarth-inspired leather-wrapped steering wheel and one igniting its 1.4-litre 4-cylinder, turbocharged Multiair engine, the performance inspired vehicle and I were about to set out on a Vegas adventure. And there was no way I was about to keep this a secret.

Shifting gears with the 5-speed heavy duty manual transmission was a sinful treat as I made my way down the city’s heralded strip and onto the state’s highways.

Since the weather permitted, I decided to leave the windows open.

That said, the fresh air flowing through the cabin tousled my hair, but allowed me to listen to the grunt and gurgle of the very audible dual exhaust note, a compromise I was more than willing to make.

It might seem perplexing that a vehicle of its size can create such a rack-et straight off the lot, but I’ll take it! It sounded delicious.

Winding through the picturesque Red Rock Canyon in ‘Sport’ mode, its sinuous road surfaces felt natural to the Abarth, but I could sense its heart pumping underneath me. Or was that mine?

Knowing that the Spring Mountain race track was just down the road (‘just’ being a relative term!) created a swell of stimulation.

Putting the 160-turbocharged horses and 170 lbs.-ft of torque to work around the near five-kilometre (3.1 mile) track, or any track, was what the Abarth was designed for.

And what a little marvel it proved to be.

While its fierce name might denote otherwise, the Abarth is not easily vexed, especially on the raceway, and at speeds upwards of 160 km/hr. Even with the traction control totally off, it still has a mindful temperament, but is ready to respond: "How high?" when you tell it to jump.

The performance tuned suspension, coupled with a set of 195/45R16XL all-season tires took to corners with haste but without hostility. And the steer-ing’s weight made controlling the car smooth and direct.

Enhancing the shifts through the manual gearbox were the closely situated throttle and brake pedals. It made heel-toe shifting more accessible for me, especially with my small feet.

But when my track sessions were over and the drive to reality was in progress, I couldn’t help but con-template my next outing with the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth.

While my experiences with this stinger of a car happened in Vegas – and was dazzling – the car isn’t staying there. Good thing.

Expect the Abarth to arrive in British Columbia in late spring and for a very attractive price of $23,995. More details at www.fiatcanada.com